At the beginning of the fall, the process of being away from the sun and at the mercy of the darkest part of the cosmos begins. The portion of the human psyche that allows for the core of our essence is most commonly referred to as the spirit or the soul. What ever you call it, it is invited to roam free within itself to obtain its own position in the universe. This is in order to acknowledge the possibility that maybe, just maybe, life is not always a set of predetermined scenarios limited by rules. Rather it's an endless river of possibilities far from control and order, and it is always wiser to embrace chaos than to try to fight it.

This sort of sentiment is what binds my love of Metal and this album by the Swedish Black Death Metal band VANHELGD. VANHELGD, or desecrated in Swedish, manage to becomes one with the music with their album Deimos Sanktuarium. The contrasts that are displayed by the band with each and every track creates a complete chapter in the history of their discography. The band creates a detailed scene track by track throughout, but most of all it's the powerful vocal arrangements and progressions that are what makes this record a worthy addition to the vaults of the Metal Temple.

The album really established itself for me beginning with, "Profane is the Blood of the Covenant". The previous tracks lead you to this point, but here the album begins to descend into a place where a more atmospheric approach is taken. The growls and vocal expressions of Jimmy Johansson take the reins of the mood and the elements and together this bring forth a complete scenario in the imagination of the listener.  There are long passages that  feel as if one is marooned in the deepest depths of a northern desert. Or perhaps one has just survived a gruesome battle as the first several tracks invoke. the track that resonated with me the most, was "Silent Observer". It's the next to last track and it's a track that reminds one to take control even when chaos, and all sorts of other cosmic elements seem to align against us. With the undying will of fans, the music the bands create lives on like they do on "Deimos Sanktuarium".  Bands like VANHELGD refuse to let the flame of Metal die out, and prove that the flame of Metal can burn anywhere in the world.

I can honestly say i listened to this record in it's entirety twice over the course of a long trip, but regrettably I was unable to properly immerse myself in it the first go around. But after subsequent times through, I am happy to say I found a true connection with "Deimos Sanktuarium", and indeed also  VANHELGD like few I have encountered before. The album has an outstanding production. So much so that it truly highlights the various elements the band creates, and creates a complete artistic concept.